Innovative Forensic Assessment and Remediation Strategies for Polluted Aquifers

Abstract

This study focuses on the use of innovative techniques to evaluate and remediate polluted aquifer layers. While environmental forensic techniques offer valuable innovative tools for site characterization and evaluation, bioremediation approaches provide innovative remedial solutions applicable to a large variety of contaminants and environmental conditions. In this study, a literature review of the main forensic techniques has been performed and their applicability for optimized site remediation was pointed out. Additionally, an innovative bioremediation approach has been tested at pilot scale for its effectiveness on a historically oil polluted aquifer on the Black Sea Coast in Romania. Specifically, an installation was designed and tested in the Laboratory of Hydraulics and Environmental Protection from the Technical University of Civil Engineering, Bucharest, in order to assess and remove contamination from impacted groundwater using reactive barriers. The barriers were comprised of layers of material with microbial activity effective for retention/remediation of groundwater pollutants. The monitored parameters included: grain particle distribution, saturation, chemical composition of pollutants, and behavior of polluted plume. This investigation was conducted in the framework of a collaborative research project funded by the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research. The results were used to successfully design a remedial system for the large-scale field implementation. In conclusion, a standardized and efficient system to evaluate, monitor, and remediate historically polluted aquifer layers has been proposed, successfully tested, and is ready for field deployment. The proposed remediation strategy can be adjusted for a large variety of pollutants and aquifer conditions.